Satellite communications systems transmit information to and receive information from users, either directly via user-held units or via ground-based or vehicle-based stations (e.g. in automobiles, trucks, airplanes, ships, etc.).
Such information may constitute voice, paging information, audio-visual information, FAX data, and so on.
An increasing number of independent satellite communications systems are in the planning, capitalization, implementation, or operational stages, and each system is competing with other systems to obtain operational licenses from appropriate geo-political jurisdictions to what constitutes a very limited amount of radio frequency spectrum.
Therefore, there is a substantial need to provide a way for two or more independent satellite-based communications systems to share a common frequency spectrum.
There is also a substantial need to provide a method of operating two or more independent satellite-based communications systems which share a common frequency spectrum, such as a common frequency band or carrier frequency.
There is also a substantial need for an earth station in a satellite communications system which can predict or detect interference in communications between it and two or more different satellites, or between at least one other earth station and two or more different satellites, and take appropriate measures to report and/or mitigate such interference.